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2.27.2012

Pack Your Bags: A Traveler's Look at the Ballantyne Hotel and Lodge

It's long overdue, but I’m ecstatic to be reviving my “Pack
Your Bags” segments with a hotel stay that was actually recent, and not before the birth of my children. Yes, children certainly change things! It took a lot
of outside help, but my husband and I finally got out of town for a night without the kids. This was our first overnight getaway in two years. TWO years. I can’t believe we let that happen.

For this momentous occasion, we chose the Ballantyne Hotel
and Lodge in Charlotte, North Carolina, as our destination.

The luxury hotel is a member of Starwood’s prestigious
Luxury Collection and is an easy three-hour drive from Raleigh. It's located in the Ballantyne area, which
is about 20 minutes from Charlotte’s uptown.
The area is filled with boutiques and bistros. In the center of the area
is the Ballantyne Hotel, with its championship PGA golf course and spa.

Photo Courtesy: Bissell

On this cold and rainy February day, the hotel was our only
destination for the night. Our time was short, and we wanted to relax. We didn’t need to go anywhere else. We’ll save that for another time. This trip was about recharging our batteries.
Kids can wear them down.
Besides, we had everything we needed with a beautiful spa, fitness center, and the award-winning Gallery Restaurant on the property.

The minute you walk into the Ballantyne Hotel, you immediately get a warm and inviting feeling.
Being a Southerner, I believe it embodies the grandeur of an Old South Country Club with a lot of Southern charm, but without any stuffiness. Flowers, original art, and cozy sitting
areas make you feel right at home.

The flowers in the entry way of the hotel

Original art can be found throughout the Ballantyne Hotel

The lobby of the hotel around 5:30 pm

The delightful Juan-Carlos showed us to our room on thefourth floor.

We stayed in a grand deluxe king room overlooking the golf
course with a parlor suite. The parlor is an optional connection. It would be great for families because it has a
sleeper sofa, another TV, and a second full bathroom.

The Parlor Suite has an additional closet and a second full-bath

I cannot say enough great things about our room. I loved the décor because my personal style tends to be more traditional. I felt as if I were staying in a person’s Southern antebellum home on the golf course.

Even though we were in a deluxe king with the parlor connection. All standard rooms look like our bedroom.

The view from our room

The true star of the room, though, was the bathroom with its lavish soaking tub and glass walk-in shower.
Even the tissue box matched the artwork and wallpaper. As far as bathrooms go, this ranks as one of
the best.

I loved the mirror for make-up

Shhhh! But I am still enjoying the Remede and Gilchrist and
Soames bath amenities back in Raleigh.
I love to take a little bit of luxury home. Juan-Carlos told me that I could take the bath slippers, too, but
I left them unused for the next lucky guest.
I also want to commend the hotel on cleanliness. I was quite impressed.

Our room at the Ballantyne Hotel was a tranquil haven for
us. I found the perfect spot to read and sip on some wine, compliments of the hotel. It is a delightful place to be. I know a lot of people don’t
share my love for hotels and see them as just places to sleep, but, for me,
what I’ve described to you is the most important part of the travel experience. It sets the tone for my vacation, and it’s what I remember the most.

I could really see myself coming back in the warm, summer months and enjoying the outdoor pool, too.

Photo Courtesy: Bissell

Even though we used this time without kids, the Ballantyne Hotel is kid-friendly. My children would love
the indoor and outdoor pools, and the hotel offers supervised summer activities, a kid menu, as well as the
SPG KidsPass program for dining. I glanced at the kid’s menu briefly, and it had a number of options, from
macaroni and cheese for my picky Baby Diva to a kid’s filet for my
luxury-hotel, fine-dining-loving son.

Can you tell I loved the hotel? Well, I loved the spa and
restaurant, too. I have not one thing
to say negative about this hotel. We
did learn, though, that key cards don’t work if they’re placed near smartphones, but thanks to Juan-Carlos, he got us back in our room.

Stay tuned for the rest of the week, and I’ll update you on those adventures plus some great things to do in Charlotte. Be sure to check out the great packages that
the Ballantyne Hotel offers if you want to plan your next getaway.

The Ballantyne Hotel was just what we needed to recharge our batteries.

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Meet Leigh Hines

Leigh Powell Hines, a former TV Journalist/Communications Executive, combined motherhood and her journalism experience and started The Hines-Sight Blog, a lifestyle/travel blog to inspire parents to pack their bags for family travels. On her blog, hotels are just as important as the destination. As founder of#OutaboutNC, an online social media community, she guides visitors to the best places to see, eat, and stay in North Carolina. She loves simple food, hotels and wellness. Even though she has a soft spot for luxury vacations, she has to budget like everyone else and is always searching for that lux deal.